Right after Italy
by Sh.C
Summary: Set in New Moon after they leave Italy... Bella can't see that Edward still loves her, she runs away from Forks. She is heartbroken and lost. How can Edward find her and prove his love to her? Will she believe him?
1. Chapter 1

**This is set in New Moon right after Bella, Edward and Alice reenter the reception area after being allowed to leave by Aro.**

**This is my first ever fan fiction so please excuse any stupid mistakes.**

**Also, For those that have read this, I changed quite a few things in the story, so it's better now. Hope you like it.**

**Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and all its characters.**

* * *

"Sshhh, Bella its ok, you're safe" His onyx eyes riddled with worry. "Nothing is going to happen to you."

It took me a while to calm myself down after realizing what would happen to those people Heidi had brought in. Alice and Edward had comforted me as best they could within the walls of the castle we were in. Once I'd regained my normal breathing pattern I looked at Edwards face.

His beautiful face.

I'd been forcing myself to hear his voice by any means I could but even the dear mental pictures of him I'd been clinging to in my mind didn't do his glorific features justice. Looking into his face took my breath away momentarily. Usually his striking excellence made my heart race with love and passion, but this time it only made me sad, for I realized it would be all too soon that he would leave me again and the raging hole in my heart would finally tear itself wide open, leaving no chance for my survival. Not that I wanted to survive without him.

He was looking at me too, staring into my face with an expression of incredulity. He was probably just amazed that I was still alive and thanking the heavens that he wasn't responsible for my death. If I wasn't so mesmerized by his face I'd be annoyed at his unnecessary gallantry.

I forced my eyes away from him and sat on one of the leather couches in the reception area staring straight ahead. Edward had given me the cloak Aro had handed to him and I wrapped it as best I could around myself. Maybe if I didn't look at him too much it would make it easier to go on without him later. But it was a vain hope as I began to have trouble breathing at the thought of being without him again. I tightly held my sides together at the pain of it.

"What's wrong?" Edward was kneeling in front of me in one of his blindingly fast moves. The sudden alarm in his voice didn't make it sound any less beautiful, I couldn't help but notice. "Are you hurt?"

I gripped my sides a little tighter, knowing that I would soon not hear it anymore. "Give me a second," I gasped. "… I'll be fine….. Happens… all… the time." But I wasn't fine. Tears were starting to form in my eyes.

"Bella," Edward moved to my side again and slowly wrapped his arms around me. "Please don't be afraid, I'm right here, and we're going to get out of here soon and go back home."

Sitting in his arms like that it would have been easy to allow myself the luxury of pretending that he loved me. Here in his embrace I could let myself inhale his scent, relish the feel of his stone chest so close to me. But I knew what it would do to me later. So I froze after a second and then gently pulled away from him. I didn't look at his face to see what his reaction was but I heard him stop breathing before he let me go.

After a few minutes of silence Alice finally became impatient. "You two are both incredibly dumb, you know that?!"

I was so caught up in protecting what was left of my heart that I'd forgotten Alice was even with us.

* * *

We traveled for who knows how many hours, jumping from plane to plane. I got in a few hours of sleep in that time but not much. Alice kept trying to force feed me but after assuring her that I probably couldn't keep it down she'd given up. I had to focus on breathing correctly; I couldn't deal with trying to swallow food right then.

Edward didn't say anything the entire ride back; he barely looked in my direction. I stole a couple of quick glances at his face to try to decipher his thoughts. He looked troubled and extremely sad. He probably was feeling guilty again.

When we finally arrived in Port Angeles, the rest of the Cullen clan was there to greet us. They each took turns hugging each of us. I was stunned when Rosalie hugged me tightly.

"Bella, I'm so sorry, this was all my fault, I don't even know how to begin to make it up to you…"

I tried to smile warmly as I looked up at her lovely face. "It's really ok, you didn't do anything. The smart thing to do would have been to not jump off a cliff."

Emmett laughed loudly as reached over to playfully ruffle my hair. "Bella, you never cease to amaze me! Jumping off a cliff?!!! You can barely walk on a normal basis, what makes you think you can fly?!"

Everyone else laughed at that… almost everyone.

Edward walked silently to the car. His face was still filled with sadness. It broke my heart even more (if that was possible) to see him so sad.

We reached the parking lot where three of the Cullen cars were parked next to each other.

Carlisle turned to Edward. "I'm sure you and Bella have a lot to discuss so why don't you take her home. The rest of us will meet you back at the house."

Edward nodded quickly and stepped into his silver Volvo, parked in between Carlisle's Mercedes and Rosalie's BMW. I said goodbye to the rest of his family and got in.

The ride back to my father's house was quiet. I soon realized I only had this little time left with him so I'd better make it count. I wanted to hear his voice but I couldn't think of anything to say. So I asked the only question I could think of when I looked at his heartbreakingly sad face.

"Edward," I began, "are you ok?"

He looked at me for a full minute, not caring to look at the road ahead of him. "I'm dealing." He finally said, his silky voice troubled. "What about you?"

"I've been better." I whispered. The hole raged once more and I held myself together again.

He winced as he watched me struggle. "You never moved on, did you?"

"Not really, no"

"Bella, I-"

"No, Edward." I knew that letting him finish his words would break me. "Please don't. It's just too hard. And I don't think I'm going to survive a second time. Please don't make it harder." My voice became thick as the tension in my throat increased. "I understand how you feel and I can't really say that I blame you." I glanced at his face and saw that he looked confused.

"After everything I've put you through, you don't blame me? After leaving you with Victoria on the loose and not being there to protect you from werewolves and Laurent?" He paused. I could see that if he could, he would have tears in his eyes. "How is that possible? I'm the most ridiculous excuse for a-"

Again I stopped him. "Edward, please! You have to stop blaming yourself. You did what you had to do and that's it! I'm fine! And no matter what stupid thing I may do in the future, you can't blame yourself. Enough with the guilt!" I was crying now. I couldn't help it anymore.

"Bella," He began in a whisper, "do you hate me now? Because, after everything that I've put you through, it would be quite fair." He paused, the hurt in his eyes intense. What a stupid question!

"Of course not!" I sobbed. "But no matter how hard I try, I can't stop loving you, and its killing me…" I let my tears flow freely as I shook with grief.

We were parked in front of Charlie's house now. His cruiser was missing and I knew no one was home. Edward was out of the car and had opened the passenger door before I had a chance to react. He pulled me out gently and hugged me tight. It was bliss, the calm before the inevitable storm.

"Bella, its ok. I'm here and I love you…" He whispered as he began the wipe my tears with his fingers.

"No!" I screamed, "I won't have you here pretending for me. I know I'm pathetic for not getting over you but I'm not having you waste your time for me. You deserve to be happy. Stop wasting your time worrying about me and go live your life. You should be happy." I tried to run to the door of the house but he reached it before me.

He held my shoulders and shook me gently. His face was so sad again. "I don't want a life without you, Bella, please understand that." But I was shaking my head is disbelief, not being able to control the sad tears any longer. This was another lie. It had to be.

"Please, Edward" I begged, gasping for air again. "Just go… I just… I can't do this right now…. Please…. Go."

He pulled me into his chest for a few moments. I thought heard him sobbing, his face in my hair, but I couldn't be sure as I was sobbing so loudly. I closed my eyes and let myself cry against him. And then he was in his car, speeding away from me.


	2. Chapter 2

**S.M.O.T.A.I.C- Stephenie Meyer Owns Twilight And Its Characters**

* * *

"Are you sure you want to keep only two bottles of Jack behind the bar?" I asked Rob, the burly owner of the club.

It'd been three months since I had arrived in Forks from my trip to Italy. Two months since I'd seen Edward or any of the Cullens. When I'd gotten in my room that day I sank to the floor and cried myself out. Charlie had come home, ready to ground me for eternity, but one look at my obvious pain had kept him out of my room for the rest of the night. That's when my eyes had landed on a warped floorboard unnaturally crushed into its place. A sudden curiosity willed me to pry it open revealing the pictures of Edward I had taken months before as well and the cd and other gifts I had gotten from him and his family on my birthday. That's when I knew that they would always be real to me. I had proof. I would always know that they had existed and that for those brief months, I'd been sublimely happy. Not that that thought was enough to keep me satisfied, not by a long shot. Having proof merely provided the comforting fact that somewhere out there the missing part of me existed. That _he_ existed. It made my depressingly empty life somewhat bearable.

The next morning I told Charlie that I was leaving. I would go to Jacksonville to stay with Renee. I had to get away. And I had to let Edward live happily without worrying about me. He couldn't very well do that with my pitiful looking self hanging around school all the time. So I left. I knew Alice would see where I was going and try to talk to me but seeing her would only remind me of what I'd lost. So I kept my plans to go to Jacksonville until minutes before the plan left, switching my ticket to whichever plane left next. I didn't care where I went, as long as I could run away and leave them in peace, as long as he could be happy and not worrying about me.

It turned out that that next available flight was to Philadelphia. I boarded the plane and set off, trying not to think about anything, forcing myself to plan to see Renee soon, knowing Alice would see me with her.

So my life in Philadelphia began. I'd just gotten off the plane and was wandering around center city when I saw a "Help Needed" sign at a grungy looking club right off of South street, an artsy looking street filled with random shops and lots of people. Sooner than I could have expected I became a bartender. I'd had absolutely zip experience and was seriously underage when I started but Rob, the caring guy that he is at heart, couldn't turn me away seeing as how I looked like hell and desperately needed help. He gave me a job as bar back/custodian, letting me pick up extra shifts when I needed. I quickly became friends with the good-natured bartenders and they showed me the ropes. So when one of them had to leave suddenly about a month after I began, Rob promoted me. And he paid me under the table!

About 2 weeks after I'd started at Rob's, he began to ask me about my past, where I was from, what I was running away from, why I looked like hell all the time, why I randomly grabbed my sides and tried to hold myself together. I just muttered something about a bad break up and he never brought it up again. I had a feeling he made sure none of the other guys brought it up either. Rob was kind of intimidating at first sight; he could scare anyone into doing anything. So when he gave an order, people listened.

"What do you take these people for, Bells, alcoholics?" Rob scruffed sarcastically. But he heeded my warning and brought out another bottle. Tonight was going to be a big night and I'd gotten here early to set up. There was a local battle of the bands competition here tonight and the crowd was sure to be hectic. Jack Daniels usually went pretty quickly.

"We're also going to need…" I paused as my eyes scanned the shelves for missing bottles of liquor, "some kettle one, some Irish cream and we're running low on the coconut rum."

"I'll tell Wes to grab some from the back." He said as he went back stage to check on the guys working on setting up the sound system.

I busied myself with filling in the fridge with beers while I waited for the other bottles to arrive. I didn't have to wait long.

"Hey Bells, I've got your supplies," Wes carried in a box full of bottles. He was pretty much exactly like his uncle Rob, just much younger. He was Rob's right hand man and helped him run the club.

"Thanks," I muttered as I sorted through the box.

"So Bells," Wes said to me. Whenever Wes approached be he used to have this strange tone in his voice. I'd recognized it from when I lived in Forks and Mike Newton would approach me with it.

Poor Wes. He's a really nice guy and I'd even venture out enough to say he was good looking. He had dark reddish hair that fell a couple of inches below his prominent jaw and he had a decently built upper body. But little did he know that love had dealt me a bad hand and I still hadn't gotten over it. I never would.

But as time progressed, and he saw that I really hadn't been interested, he became less awkward and more friendly. Now he was kind of like a big brother to me. "Some of the bands playing tonight are really good; I've heard them play a bunch of times. I could arrange for you to have a break when they're up if you want. We should go backstage and watch them for a bit." He smiled a friendly smile at me.

"Thanks Wes, but I'm pretty sure its going to be way too packed for me to take any kind of break. Besides, the more people I serve, the more tips I get, right?" I joked, trying to lighten the obvious rejection.

He smiled at my comment and shrugged light-heartedly, "no problem but let me know if you change your mind." He turned to leave but then turned back. "Oh yea, I almost forgot, someone called for an Isabella Swan a while ago."

I froze.

It took me a second for me to realize Wes was still talking.

"-worked here. I told them I didn't know any Isabellas with the last name Swan. That's not you right?" He studied my reaction carefully. I quickly tried to compose it.

"No, that's not me." Then I smiled convincingly, I hoped, as I continued to arrange the bottles on the shelves. "Three months of working together and you still can't get my name right? It's Bella Simon!! Jeez!"

He laughed at that before leaving for the back office.

When I was alone I stopped what I was doing and went into panic mode. How could anyone know I was here? It couldn't be Charlie or Renee, I'd called them as soon as I landed and told them not to worry, that I was invited by a friend from Phoenix who moved up here and I'd decided last minute to go. They were angry at first but they were soon glad that I was doing something other than pining. Or, at least, they thought I was doing something other than letting my misery rule my life. Then I forged an early acceptance letter from Penn State University and told them I had to work towards my goal here. They were fine with it. But they had no idea I was a bartender or that I worked at Rob's. So who would be calling me here?

It could be Alice, I thought to myself. But surely after all this time, they would have all forgotten about me and went about their business, right?

I decided that worrying about it wouldn't do any good. Wes had probably convinced them that they had the wrong number. They probably wouldn't think twice about calling here again.

I finished setting up the bar for tonight and told Rob I was going home to shower and change. I walked the 5 blocks to my apartment. When I first got to Philadelphia, I had no idea where I was going to live. But Rob came through again big time and found me an apartment close enough to work and cheap enough for me to afford. It wasn't bad looking at all. It was on the first floor of an old townhouse turned into and three separate apartments. Mine was a pretty large studio apartment. I'd put my college fund to good use but it still took a while for me to get everything I needed. After paying my down payment, I got a bed, a few side tables and a lazy-boy chair. After about a month, Wes supplied the TV sitting in my makeshift living room, but it was only a couple of weeks ago that I got everything together. Tips from the bar got really good so I treated myself to a computer, a desk, a large cozy rug and a few other things to make it livable. It wasn't much but it had become home, my safe-haven where I can cry myself to sleep at night or drown my sorrows while I listened to my one and only cd.

I unlocked the three locks I had installed for safety and walked in my front door, the perplexity of my mystery caller still on my mind. It was then that I realized I had some free time on my hands, something I tried desperately to avoid. But it happens every so often, at which time, I go running.

Now, don't get me wrong, I hate physical exercise, more than anything, and I'm not terribly great at running without falling every five or ten steps. But running fast starts to hurt after a while. Your body physically and agonizingly screams at you for pushing it beyond its limits and that's the only thing that distracts from… the other pain… the constant pain of losing him. The pain of knowing that I had never been enough to hold the one thing I wanted more than life itself.

So I went for a run. When it started to get easier, I pushed harder, making it hurt. When my body got used to that speed, I went faster and faster until my muscles ached. I kept that up for as long as I could. When my body screamed in agony that I could no longer sustain, I stopped and slowly made my way back to my apartment, ignoring my dizziness and trying to regulate my breathing again. I immediately hopped in the shower when I got back and let the warm water massage my back for a while. It was one of the very few pleasures in my life. When I got out and changed into my normal uniform of jeans and a short, fitted t-shirt and straightened my hair. By the time I made my way back to Rob's it was almost seven at night.

"Hey Bella!" called Wes from the stage, "Come meet the bands!"

I walked over the meet some of the bands performing tonight. I had never heard of them, but then again, I didn't really take the time to listen to music anymore, just the one cd. I noticed one of the guitarists raise his eyebrows at Wes when he introduced us. I left them and made my way back behind the bar, storing my light hoodie and double checking our supplies.

Rob soon came over to give me his usual packed-night speech. "Bells, we've got two bouncers outside and two guys situated in here in case people get too rowdy. It'll be you, Frank and Tom back here tonight so it should be ok, but you know how these drunk guys get when there's a pretty girl behind the bar. If you have any trouble-"

"Rob, seriously! How many times are you going to tell me the same thing?" I rolled my eyes, "I know the drill, if anyone gets too wild or too_touchy_ I'll immediately make sure they're escorted out. Ok?"

Rob rolled his eyes right back at me, "Just making sure you remember, kid. Wes'll be watching out for you too, so no worries." He was usually a bit protective when we were certain to have a big crowd, mostly, I think, because I'm the only girl working here and I'm younger than everyone. But this was overkill.

"What aren't you telling me?" I demanded. Something was definitely up.

Rob sighed, a worried look on his face. He looked around to make sure no one was listening. "I heard Wes saying something about a phone call." I felt the blood drain from my face. "They were calling for Isabella Swan. Someone knows you're here." He waited, hoping that maybe I'd explain. But how could I?

"Listen Bells, I'm not going to pry into your life. You needed to get away and I can understand that. Life screws us over once in a while and sometimes we need a fresh start. But I just want to make sure that you're not in any danger, all right?"

He gave me a stern look. "You told me you weren't in any trouble before, right? You just needed to disappear for a while?"

"Yes" I said after I'd found my voice. "That's right."

"And whoever is looking for you isn't trying to hurt you?"

"No, not at all." I could tell he was really worried about me. It made me sick to make him worry after everything he'd done for me. "The only people who would have called here looking for me are people that I don't know if I could deal with seeing right now." I winced as I thought of them. My almost family.

"Just making sure, kid." He patted my shoulder as he left me to my work.


	3. Chapter 3

**S.M.O.T.A.I.C**

* * *

There were just so many people! I didn't have a second to spare as orders kept flying at me. A lot of the guys kept trying to get my attention but I was so busy, all I could do was give them a small smile as I handed them their drinks. There was a lot of commotion over a few bands in particular but I barely noticed. Rob and Wes kept checking in with me to make sure everything was going well.

"Here you go, that's six fifty." I said to a random guy with a long ponytail. He handed me a ten, flashed a smile and told me to keep the change. I placed a sweet smile on my face and thanked him then continued to put process the bill through the cash register. Frank, an older guy who'd been working here way before I started came over to do the same.

"We're doing pretty well tonight, I think" He had to yell over the noise of the current bands punk music blasting all around us.

"Yea, let's hope it keeps up," I responded with a weak laugh.

"There's a girl who wants to talk to you over there." He pointed to the opposite end of the bar. I looked over and froze.

It was Alice.

Her topaz eyes stared at me with an odd expression. Her beautiful face looked worried and slightly confused. She was looking at me intently, as if trying to figure out if it was really me standing here.

Frank took one look at my expression and got very serious, "Wes said to keep an eye on you tonight, is there something going on that I should know about?"

"No, its fine," I responded in a shaky voice. I pulled myself together as quickly as I could so Frank would back off. "Just an old friend, it's cool."

Frank relaxed a bit, then he smirked. "Because you may be thin and clumsy and all, Bells, but I think you can take her."

At that I had to laugh, a sighing, humorless laugh. If only he knew.

I walked over to where Alice was leaning against the bar. "Um… Hi?"

"Bella…" she began, her eyes sad. She didn't speak again for a long minute. She seemed to have lost her words. "Bella, what are you doing here?" Her voice was soft, tender and full of concern.

Then it hit me. Alice was here. She was barely a foot away from me. She was worried about_me_. I felt my carefully constructed facade slipping. "Alice, I-", I began to whisper but the sudden knot in my throat didn't allow me to continue. Not wanting to freak out Frank or Tommy or any of the customers I quickly turned and headed out the back, muttering something about a ten minute break to Frank as I passed him, not looking up.

I half ran out into the back storage room and out the back door, successfully keeping a straight face until I reached the outside. That's when I broke down. The hole was pulling itself apart again and I hugged myself tightly as I fell on my knees onto the cement, fighting for breaths in between sobs. It was only a matter of seconds before I heard the door open again and suddenly Alice was beside me, rubbing my back gently as I struggled to regain my composure. She waited patiently.

When I could breathe somewhat normally again, I looked up, tears still blurring my sight. "Oh, Alice!" I threw my arms around her and cried even harder now, going slightly into hysterics.

I heard the door open again and looked up to see Jasper standing next to me.

"Hello Bella," he said in a near whisper, his face was riddled with sympathy. He must be feeling my pain.

"Hello Jasper," I was barely able to choke out in between heavy sobs. Then Jasper knelt down and put his cold hand on my shoulder, offering as much support and love as he could. I could feel a sudden wave of tranquility hit as he put his powers to use on me. "Thank you," I whispered. It felt good having them here; I had missed them so much.

After a few minutes, Alice finally spoke, "Bella, what's happened to you? Tell me what you've been doing and why you ran away." She pulled me away gently so she could look at my face. But I couldn't meet her eyes as I answered.

"I didn't want you and your family to have to deal with protecting me anymore. It was keeping you from having the kind of life you deserve, one without me." The sobs were still coming, though not as violently as before. "Look everything that's happened since I came into your lives; you get in fights with vampires, one of you almost kills himself in Italy… all because of me. I don't want to cause you anymore trouble. And now that…" I forced myself to say the name, "Edward has moved on, I figured it was time I let you guys live in peace."

"Bella, you couldn't be more wrong." It was Jasper who spoke. "You are a part of our family, and protecting you was never a burden…." He pulled on my shoulder gently to get me to look at him. "… You completed our family."

"Bella, please, don't be so sad," Alice begged. "You've got everything backwards. We've missed you so much. _All_ of us."

And a part of me knew she was telling the truth because what she was saying was true for me also. I missed Edward terribly, but it wasn't just him that I longed for, it was all of them, even Rosalie.

But there was another part of me that was reluctant. I'd known too much sorrow to think it could all be over so easily. I couldn't afford the luxury of hope, for if it failed to work out, it would kill me.

"I have to get back to work," I muttered, looking down.

"Bella, we have to talk to you," Alice said, "Haven't you been listening, we miss you! Come back, you don't have to stay here."

"I know, Alice, but I just need a little time, ok?" I clutched my sides once more.

She looked at me with worry again and sighed, "Ok, what time will you be done? We'll meet you outside."

"Probably around 4 or 5. You don't have to wait for me, I don't work tomorrow. How about we meet up then?"

"Fine I'll come find you tomorrow, but only if you promise me you won't run away again." She looked straight into my eyes.

I nodded weakly, "I promise," I took a pen and folded up piece of paper out of my back pocket. "Here's my address" I wrote it down and handed it to her. As we stood up, my curiosity got the better of me. "Are you two here by yourselves?"

Jasper and Alice's eyes met for a split second. "No," admitted Jasper.

"Is he…" but I couldn't make myself finish the question. What was the answer I was hoping for? Did I want him to be here, looking out for me as usual instead of living his life in peace? Or did I want him to be somewhere not thinking about me in the slightest? I decided neither answer would please me, so I dropped it. "Never mind, I'll see you tomorrow." I hugged them each before going back inside.

Rob was waiting behind the bar. "Frank tells me you had some visitors?"

I nodded numbly but quickly tried to regain my composure. Rob shouldn't have to worry about me.

"Is everything ok?" he asked me quietly.

I smiled, "Everything's great Rob." I hesitated but then decided he deserved to know the truth, or as much of the truth as I could tell him, anyway. "They were the people who called earlier. They are old friends and they were worried about me. I wasn't sure I wanted to see them again but it was good. Better than I thought it would be. They wanted to make sure I was ok. I'm going to see them again tomorrow."

He nodded, satisfied with my answer and then turned to go tend to something else.

"Hey Rob?"

He turned back around to face me. "Shoot"

"Thanks… for everything."

He smiled briefly. "No problem, kiddo." He said, already leaving to tend to his business.

I got back to work but I couldn't shake off my nerves. What if Edward was here? What would he say to me? Does he even _want_ to see me again or is he just making sure I'm ok? The pain in my chest doubled as I let myself think of him freely. But I couldn't let myself lose control, not here. Not in front of people.

I guess my inner turmoil was obvious because Frank quickly offered me a drink. "Maybe you just need to calm down a little."

I wasn't normally a drinker; I'd seen too many drunken idiots at this job to have any appeal for alcohol. But the idea that it may numb the pain by any amount was enough to convince me. I drank a quick shot of Jack and chased it with a beer. The bitter taste stung my throat on its way down.

By 2 AM, I still wasn't feeling great, but at least I was somewhat numb to the pain in my chest as my head swirled. The bar was closing and the show had ended. Wes, Rob and the rest of the crew had come over to the bar after the last of the customers had left. Everyone was in high spirits as we toasted to success of the night. I tried to sound animated as I joined in the laughter. It became easier as I had more to drink. I guess I under estimated the fact that these were all big guys who could hold a lot more than I could, but I kept up with them, round after round, my state of mind slipping after each one, leaving me partially anesthetized. I excused myself and stumbled to get my hoodie from behind the bar, tripping on my own feet and falling on my knees.

"Uh oh!" Joked a very giddy Tommy, "Looks like Bella's a little drunk!" Everyone laughed, including me.

"Yea, yea," I answered, grasping the bar for support as I got up. "I'll see you guys later."

"Whoa there, kid, where do you think you're going?" Rob grunted, "You think we're going to let you walk home by yourself?"

"No worries, I'm calling a cab. I'll be home in a few minutes."

He looked at me skeptically. "All right then, Bells, take care of yourself."

I waved goodbye to everyone and stepped out into the night. I walked up the block and hailed a cab. It seemed to take forever to get to my apartment. The alcohol in my stomach was making me extremely nauseous and this crazy cab driver wasn't helping. When I finally got back, I tripped as I stepped out of the cab, seeing two of everything.

"Keep the change," I may have handed him a much larger bill than I had intended but it didn't seem to matter. All my energy was focused towards getting my key in the lock, and it wasn't easy. On my first attempt, the key wouldn't fit! It took me a while to understand that it wasn't the right key. My next attempt was a little better but still failed as I had found the right key but everything in my head was spinning to actually putting the key in the lock was a challenge. I groaned in frustration when a cold hand gently pulled the key away from me and opened the door. I instantly froze, the familiar sweet scent giving him away. I didn't have to turn around to see who it was. My heart was about to explode as a turned around to face him.

"Hello Bella," said Edward, his voice as beautiful as I remembered.

That's when I passed out.


	4. Chapter 4

**S.M.O.T.A.I.C**

* * *

Ouch.

Ooouuuch!!

My head is throbbing. I'm somewhat comfortable and under some covers so I think I'm probably on my bed. It takes me a minute to open my eyes.

"Bella," comes a panicked voice, "Bella, are you awake? How do you feel?"

Oh no, I think instantly recognizing the lovely velvety voice. Am I dreaming? Everything seems really fuzzy this morning. I open my eyes and the room is spinning. Oh no, I think I might throw up.

"Bella!" Edward is at my side in an instant. I looked at his face in confusion as he looked so worried that I thought something really bad must have happened.

"Edward," I try to say but my voice is so thick with sleep that I don't know if he can understand me. I try again, "Edward is everything ok? What's wrong?"

Obvious relief spreads over his exquisite face as he sighs loudly, "Am _I_ ok? Yes,_I'm_ fine. Its _you_ that I'm worried about." Then his silk voice becomes furious, "do you remember anything from last night?"

I try not to focus on the pain in my head and concentrate on remembering. The last thing I remember is… the door. I couldn't get the door open… I frown as I try to remember this strange detail. Why couldn't I open the door? Then it all comes flooding back to me. All those rounds I had with the guys last night, seeing Alice and Jasper, Edward appearing at my door last night while I tried unsuccessfully to open my door. I groaned loudly as it all came back to me.

"I guess you do remember," his voice was acid.

I sat up in my bed and immediately regretted it. As if my head wasn't bad enough, now my stomach joined in the protest to last nights activities. It felt about ten pounds heavier and didn't seem to agree with what was in it. I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom, making sure to shut the door tightly behind me and lock it. He didn't need to see this.

I'm never drinking again, I thought to myself as I brushed my teeth and splashed water on my face after throwing up. Stupid, stupid, stupid! I took off the clothes I was still wearing from last night and took a shower, letting the water massage my back as I tried to collect my thoughts.

Edward was here.

I expected the hole in my chest to ache at the thought, but it seemed to have the opposite affect. I felt better having him here. No matter how short of a time he was here for, I was glad to have at least a very temporary relief from the heartache.

I grabbed a towel off the rack and dried off, taking time to make my hair as straight as possible, not an easy thing to do with a headache the size of mine, but Edward was here and I didn't want to look any worse than I had to. I stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in the towel, and went to grab some clean clothes, blushing as I met his eyes. He took the hint and turned around. I dressed as quickly as I could in jeans and a tank top and an ocean blue blouse on top.

"What time is it?" I asked, wanting to break the awkward silence.

He turned around, his face still murderously angry. I flinched internally at the sight of it. "Almost 11:30."

Nervous as I was at his expression, I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. "Alice and Jasper…"

"Will be here in half and hour," He finished for me. Then he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his now between his forefinger and thumb. "Bella," he began, making an obvious effort to calm down. "I thought you promised you wouldn't do anything stupid."

I could feel myself getting read in the face. Playing for time, I went to a cabinet in my small kitchenette and grabbed a bottle of aspirin for my headache. "Well, I didn't exactly plan that," I rationalized, "and trust me, that will never happen again."

"No it won't," His voice like a whip.

Then I was furious. Who was he to tell me how to live?! "I know it may not seem like it, but I _can_ take care of myself, Edward, I've been doing it for a long time!"

"Well you're not doing a very good job!" He snapped, angrily. "You run around with werewolves, then you jump off a cliff and now you're getting drunk at all hours of the night! And look at you," he gestured towards me furiously, "do you even eat anymore?!" indicating my emaciated frame.

I was too angry to speak for a moment. My blood boiled under my skin.

"How… DARE … you!" I whispered murderously, furious tears in my eyes. I didn't bother to wipe them away. "You left _ME_!" My voice rose to a scream. He flinched at my words, "You broke _ME_! What the hell is it to you how I deal with it? You think it's_easy_?! Trying to keep whatever pieces of myself are left from falling apart every five seconds?!"

He winced again, his expression changing from fury to horror. I struggled to lower my voice. "I know you've moved on, ok? But it's not so easy for me."

"Bella," the pain on his face made me cringe. It was one thing for me to be miserable but it was another for him to be. He seemed to have lost his words, "Bella… I… I'm so sorry," Anguish pierced his tone, "I never meant for you to… I'm so, so sorry…"

I stopped him, my fury replaced with sorrow, "it's not your fault. I'm sorry I said it was. The truth is I knew it was too good to be true right from the very beginning." The agony in my chest suddenly prevailed over the pounding in my head. I couldn't stop the great sob that escaped from me as I fell on my knees, doubling over in grief and agony. He was at my side in a split second, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pulling me close. It helped, having him next to be, breathing in his delicious scent, crying into his cold chest. But I couldn't let myself allow this… it would just be that much harder when it was over.

I pulled away from him, standing up and trying to regain my composure. It wasn't easy. As soon as our bodies stopped touching, the hole ripped itself wide open again. "I-" I began unsteadily, "I have to go."

He looked grief stricken, "you can't run away again, Bella. Please," he pleaded.

"I'm not," I responded, going to grab my sneakers. The pain was too much. Way too much. "I'm not running _away_, I'm just running. I need to go for a run. Just for a little while, just to clear my head. I'll come back in a while." I changed into shorts and a loose baby t-shirt, not bothering if he was watching. He'd already seen me at my most vulnerable, what did it matter if he saw me half naked?

"Bella…" He grabbed my arm as I moved towards the door.

"Please, Edward," I used my free arm to hold myself together once again. The hole in my chest was aching. I needed it to stop. Even for a while. I couldn't deal with this now.

He let go, his eyes heartbreakingly sad. It made me feel worse to see him this way. Without another word, I ran out the door.

I ran. Far and fast. I didn't even know where I was going. I ended up near the river, really far from my apartment. The hole ached more and more. The more it would ache, the faster I would go and the more my body would scream in agony. But I didn't care. The muscle pain I could deal with. I could deal with the burning in my lungs and the dizziness in my head, as long as it took away from the throbbing of my heart, I could deal with it. I pushed harder, more than I'd ever pushed before. My surroundings were a blur as I ran at top speed.

I don't know how long I kept at the speed I was going, but soon I knew I would have to stop. I couldn't keep it up anymore.

"Bella!" I heard someone scream near me. It sounded like Alice.

I slowed to a safer pace, knowing she would catch up with me soon. I was breathing too hard and my head was extremely dizzy. Maybe I'd overdone it. After a few seconds, still panting, I looked around to see where the voice had come from.

But a sudden leg cramp hit me and I fell to the ground. I don't know what happened but I was having trouble regulating my breathing, which was only making things worse.

I thought I saw Alice, Edward and Jasper coming at me from a distance before I fainted.


	5. Chapter 5

**I changed a few things in the last couple of chapters. If you haven't re-read those, then some things might seem weird. SO SO sorry for making you wait so long, but writer's block sucks!  
**

**S.M.O.T.A.I.C**

* * *

"She'll be ok, she's going to wake up soon." I heard Alice say to someone.

I was on a bed.

It felt too big to be mine. And way too comfortable.

I tried opening my eyes. The first thing I noticed was that it was very bright. Like the sun was shining in from somewhere. The second thing I noticed was that directly above from where I was lying was a very pretty and ornate ceiling fan. This makes no sense. Maybe I'll go back to sleep.

"Bella!" cried a silky voice, "Bella are you awake?"

Was I dead? Edward was here. It could be heaven, my personal heaven where Edward still loves me. It was certainly bright enough to be heaven. But did heaven have ceiling fans?

"Am I dead?" was the first thing that came out of my mouth.

I heard quite a few relieved sighs around me. I tried to rub the sleep out of my eyes.

Carlisle came to my side, "no Bella, you are not dead." He looked relieved and yet serious, "how do you feel?"

I blinked a few more times, "Carlisle?" I said, still disoriented.

"Yes," he responded.

"Where am I?" I asked, sitting up in this strange yet comfortable bed.

"You're in our hotel room," he spoke gently, "how are you feeling?"

I looked around the room and noticed that _all_ of the Cullens were standing in the room, staring at me with worried looks on their faces. I felt the blood rush to my face. What did I do this time? Would I _never_ stop causing them trouble, I thought to myself as guilt flooded through me. "I feel fine," I said in a small voice.

I noticed Jasper meet Edward's eyes. Edward closed his eyes sullenly and nodded at hearing his thoughts. Then he looked at me with an unreadable expression on his face.

"What happened?" I asked.

"You don't remember?" Carlisle asked me.

I thought for a moment, "I was running, and then I heard Alice say my name, but I didn't see from where…." I struggled to remember what had happened after that, "then… my leg… I got a cramp or something… and I couldn't breathe correctly… and then…"

I had fainted. I had been too dizzy and I couldn't breathe. I felt the eyes of the Cullens on me and it made me so uncomfortable. Here they were, coming to my rescue yet again. I was interrupting their lives for the millionth time with my weak and stupid problems. I felt the knot in my throat as fresh guilt hit me again as well as remorse and humiliation.

Soon there were tears in my eyes. I blinked them back as best I could, hardening myself again. I can cry later, but I needed to leave them in peace. There was silence around me as I prepared myself to speak to them, to apologize yet again.

But when I looked up, everyone but Carlisle, Edward and Esme was gone. Esme sat next to be on the bed and hugged me. I couldn't hold my tears back anymore. A few escaped, no matter how hard I tried to hold them back.

"I'm so sorry," I tried to say but it came out in a whisper. I knew that with their vampire hearing, they could hear it.

"Bella, honey," Esme began as she stroked my back, "you don't need to apologize. We've missed you. And we've been so worried."

"Bella," Carlisle spoke this time, "your body is exhausted. You're severely malnourished and this afternoon you pushed yourself too far. That's not a good combination." He paused, "You're forcing your body to the breaking point. You weren't breathing when Edward, Alice and Jasper found you this afternoon. And your heartbeat was racing."

I processed that for a minute, "what happened."

Edward spoke this time, "Alice had a vision of you falling on a path near the river. We followed your scent to where to you were. When we found you, you were still running. Alice called to stop you, knowing what would happen if you continued at your pace. But after you stopped, you fell. We saw you trying to breath and then…" he stopped. His eyes were anguished. "I had to perform CPR to get you to breathe on your own. When you finally did, we brought you back here."

I looked down, guiltily again. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you. I didn't think you'd be able to find me in this town." I felt the tears leak down my face, "I thought you would finally live in peace with me gone." My voice got thicker, "I'm so sorry, I never meant to keep troubling your lives."

"Bella," Esme stopped me and hugged me again, "you are a part of our family! This is absolutely no trouble at all. You have to stop thinking that. And..." she paused, "you have to promise me that you're going to take better care of yourself. I don't know what we'd do if something happened to you." Her eyes search mine for a promise.

I was touched. They were worried about me. _Me_!

"I promise," I whispered.

She hugged me again. "Good." Then she got up, "We ordered room service for you. And I think we'll leave you two to talk. I think both of you have the wrong ideas floating in your heads. We'll be out in the main room if you need us."

She and Carlisle left the room. Edward left and promptly came back with a tray of delicious looking food. "Mushroom ravioli," he whispered.

I grinned. It was what I'd ordered back in Forks when he saved me for the first time. And here we were, after he saved my life again. It seemed fitting.

"Thank you," I said to him, accepting the tray.

He sat in a chair near my bed as I ate, watching me with an unreadable expression in his face. I ate in silence, not knowing what to say to him. The food was amazing. My stomach welcomed it; it had been a while since I'd eaten a full meal. I usually just grabbed something small when my stomach asked me to. But food had lost its taste since we'd last parted in Forks. Everything had lost its taste and its meaning. But it was back now… kind of.

When I couldn't eat anymore, I made to get up and remove the tray, but Edward beat me to it. He put in on a table in the corner of the room.

"How do you feel?" he asked me.

"Fine," I said, "Better."

He looked so sad, "Bella," he paused, "Bella, I'm so sorry." His tone was heartbreaking, "for everything I've put you through. For everything I've done to you. I don't blame you for hating me."

I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. He thought I hated him?

"Edward stop," I moved closer to him, but stepped back, for fear of getting too close. The hole was threatening to tear at me again, "I don't hate you." I could feel the familiar tingling in my nose as the tears started to swell in my eyes, "I could _never_ hate you… I _will_ never hate you. You haven't done anything wrong. _I_ am the one who ran away. _I_ am the one who needs to move on. I know that you have and that's ok. I understand. I _want_ you to be happy," the tears were flowing freely now. I had to release him of this guilt. As much as I loved him, he would never love me back in the same way. But my pain would mean nothing if he wasn't happy. I felt the hole rip again, but I held it together for Edward.

He seemed stunned for a bit, "move on?" he looked bewildered, "Bella, I have _never_moved on. You think…" the words seemed to fail him, "you think… that I… that I don't want you?"

I couldn't understand why he was doing this. I wasn't going to let him pretend to love me just for my sake. "Edward please be honest. It's ok. I always knew…" but I wasn't able to continue.

Before I had a chance to think, he had lifted me off the bed and into his arms, "Bella, please believe me. If you don't believe anything else, you have to know that I love you. I have always loved you."

He placed me on my feet, but I my knees had gone weak at hearing him speak those words and I sank to the floor. He came with me, holding me.

I cried freely know, sobbing and shaking my head, "Edward, no. You told me the truth before… in the woods… in Forks. Please…" I begged him through my sobs, "please just be honest. It's ok. I'll be ok. You have to stop believing that I won't live without you."

I don't know how long he held me; whispering my name softly and he caressed my back and buried his face in my hair. I let myself get lost in his arms, though. Even if it wouldn't last forever, at least it was better now. At least at this very moment, the hole wasn't hurting me. Even if it would be back or worse later, it felt better now. Here in his arms I could pretend that he truly did love me. So I pretended… and it helped.

All too soon, for me, anyway, he pulled me away gently, looking into my tear stained face, "Bella, you are so… absurd!" The sadness on his face was evident. I knew that if he could produce tears, they would be flowing freely down his perfect face. "You really believe that I moved on? You think that there was any way I could be happy without you?!"

My sobbing stopped abruptly as confusion clouded my face. I didn't understand.

He continued seeing the perplexity on my face. "I've never stopped loving you for a second. Bella when I told you I didn't love you in the forest all those months ago, it was a lie. I knew that staying by my side would always put you in danger. You deserved a happy, normal human life. My eternal unhappiness was a small price to pay for your lifetime of joy. I didn't realize that you wouldn't…" he paused as his voice broke. He was crying now… it didn't fit. Angels shouldn't cry, "I'm so sorry, Bella. I know you can never forgive me, but please believe that could never and will never stop loving you."

My whole body was numb from the divinely healing touch. I could feel my heart about to burst at his words. Could it be true? If it wasn't I knew the second he changed his mind it would kill me this time. Not that I cared, death was better than life without him. But looking into his beautiful yet agonized eyes, seeing the grief and misery painfully plastered all over his flawless face, I knew it was true. He loved me. He left to protect me. He loved me.

With that sudden sense of conviction I was whole again. And I couldn't stop myself from suddenly reaching up and roughly pressing my lips to his, wrapping my arms around his neck, one hand running through his hair, pulling him tighter to me. He responded immediately and gripped my waist, gently but firmly, pulling me tighter (if it was possible), kissing me back. He smoothly pushed my back onto the floor and I felt the perfect contours of his cold marble body against mine. I broke our kiss momentarily to breathe but he didn't stop. His lips never left my skin; they were under my jaw, while his hand ran up and down my side softly.

I was dizzy from his delicious scent; I could only focus on the feel of him on me. I ran my hands under his shirt and caressed the smooth skin over the muscles on his back. His lips were kissing at the hollow base above my collarbone, his nose grazing my neck as he shook his head gently from side to side. Our urgent kiss had turned intensely passionate. It was as though we were making up for all the months our bodies had spent apart, suddenly needing to be fused together. His hand ran down to the hem of my shirt and he flicked up the fabric easily, moving his lips to my stomach. I couldn't think. I'd forgotten how to breathe as pleasure coursed through me. I moved my hands to his hair, urging him to continue. He moved back up and his lips met mine again, the urgency was back as our lips crushed together.

All too soon we broke apart, both breathing hard. My heart was pounding, strong again. Whole. My breathing was still out of whack but I hadn't felt this good in a long time.

He reached over and picked me up easily, cradling me into his chest as he walked over and set me down on the bed. He lay down next to me. We stayed silent for a minute, our breaths finally steadying. I reached my hand to his face, gently memorizing it again. It'd been so long since I was able to be so close to him. He closed his eyes at my soft touch, inhaling deeply.

"I missed you." I whispered. But I felt stupid after saying it because it was such a great understatement. It was more than just missing him, it was like a huge chunk of me had been ripped from me leaving a trail of devastation at its wake.

He opened his eyes, a pained expression on his face. "Oh Bella, you have no idea," he sighed sadly, "I know that what I have done to you… put you through… its inexcusable. I don't expect your forgiveness. I don't deserve it." He reached over, placing his cold hand on my neck, tenderly stroking my jaw with his thumb. "Sorry doesn't even come close to how I feel. I'm the worst kind of beast that ever walked the planet."

"Please Edward," he looked at me, searching my eyes, trying to figure out what I was thinking. "I understand why you felt you had to leave. You left to protect me," the truth in that statement sent flutters to my heart, which I'm sure he heard. "I know that you love me, and that's all I need. You're all I need."

At that he pulled me closer to him and buried his face in my hair, wrapping his arms around me. I snuggled close to him, savoring the feel of his cold body against mine. "Can you ever forgive me?" He whispered softly against my ear. "For everything I've put you through? When I first saw you last night, it was torture. You looked so… broken… I was disgusted with myself for causing you so much heartache. You are the one thing I care most for in my entire existence and look what I did to you." His voice broke again. "I'm such a monster. Do you think you'll ever be able to forgive me? If you can't, I can certainly… understand."

"Edward, of course I do. There's nothing to forgive." I murmured softly against his chest. "I'm sorry I blamed you earlier. I didn't really mean it, I was just angry."

"You were right, though."

I shook my head, "No, I wasn't. And I can't live without you. I love you so much."

His arms tightened around me gently. "I love you too, my Bella. I'll never leave you again. I'll never hurt you again," he vowed.

I pulled away gently just far enough to be able to look up into his face, a smile lingered on my lips. The sensation felt a bit weird, I hadn't really smiled in such a long time. "You're staying?!" I couldn't keep the delight out of my voice.

Then he smiled my favorite crooked smile. My heart began booming in my chest. "Always and forever."

His face inched towards mine and he gently parted my lips with his.

* * *

**You know what to do...  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**S.M.O.T.A.I.C**

* * *

We lay in each others arms for a while, focusing on each others breathing. He traced lazy circles on my arms with his gentle fingers. I lay my head on his chest, my arms wrapped around him, drinking in his scent. It was heaven, my own personal heaven.

It wasn't long before we were interrupted, though. There was a knock on the door and Edward muttered, "It's open," before I had a chance to wonder who it was. I should've guessed though.

Alice walked into my apartment, beaming. "I take it you two had a pleasant afternoon," her cheerfulness was contagious. I couldn't stop the blissful smile from stretching across my face. I looked up to see that Edward had a similar expression.

"So are you just going to sit there all night or are you getting up?" asked Alice after a minute, "because everyone's waiting to see you Bella again. We never did greet you properly."

I sighed as I followed Edward off the bed. I could've lay there in Edward's arms for all eternity. I noticed that I was still wearing my running clothes. I probably looked ridiculous. "Um," I began, sheepishly.

Alice rolled her eyes, "Fine, you can shower first. There's a private bathroom through that door," she pointed to a door I hadn't noticed towards the left of the room. "There are towels and such in there. I'll bring you some clothes."

I smiled, "Thanks Alice," I kissed Edward once more before going into the bathroom. It was perfect, just like him.

The water pressure at this hotel was amazing. I let the water wash away my pain. For the first time in a very long time, I felt sublimely happy. I stepped out of the shower and dried off, towel drying my hair as best I could.

When I stepped out of the bathroom in a towel, Alice was in the room, with a few outfits in laid out on the bed, trying to decide on which one I should wear.

"Alice, please tell me you didn't buy all these for me," I frowned.

"Bella, I haven't seen you in ages," she said matter-of-factly, "I've missed having you as my personal Barbie doll."

I laughed, "I should have figured." All of the clothes she had looked unbelievably expensive. "Alice, please, I'd be more comfortable in jeans."

She sighed, loudly, "I was afraid you'd say that. Fine." She went to a shopping bag she had on the floor and pulled out a pair of jeans. "Here, put these on."

I made the mistake of looking at the price tag, "Alice! These were $300!"

"So?" She looked at me like she didn't understand what the problem was.

I shook my head in disbelief.

"Oh, here," she handed me a small Victoria's Secret bag. Go put those things on. I'll find a top for you.

I went into the bathroom. I took out the contents of the Victoria's Secret bag; a few pairs of very pretty underwear and matching bras. I picked a very pretty light pink pair and put them on, followed by the jeans. Everything fit perfectly of course. The jeans were a medium blue wash, slightly faded and they rested comfortably at my hips. They flattered my body.

Alice opened the door to the bathroom without knocking.

"Alice!" I covered my half-naked body.

"Oh relax, you're wearing a bra and jeans. Here," she handed me a pretty light blue short sleeved blouse. I put it on immediately. I pulled my hair back in a ponytail and threw on a pair of flats Alice handed me, then went out into the main room of the Cullen's hotel suite.

Edward was with me instantly, picking me up, kissing me and putting me back down, "You're beautiful," he whispered in my ear. I blushed furiously as I smiled back at him. His intoxicating scent instantly dazzled me.

"Bella!" was the first thing I heard before I was engulfed in Emmett's bone-crushing hug.

"Hi… Emmett…" I choked out as I gasped for air.

Edward interrupted, "Emmett, let her go. She needs air."

Emmett grinned as he put me down, then patted my head playfully, "Still fragile little Bella."

"A little more fragile Bella, by the looks of it," Rosalie chimed in jokingly. It took my by surprise; Rosalie wasn't usually the joking type, "Hi Bella." She smiled at me.

"Hi Rosalie," I returned the smile.

Carlisle was next, "How are you feeling, Bella?"

"I'm fine," I said, uncomfortably. I didn't enjoy having people stare at me.

"Come on," Edward said, taking my hand in his and leading me to the seating area in the large suite. It was a complete living room with large windows and a balcony. There were doors around leading to what I assumed were the other bedrooms.

We sat on the luxurious beige sofa, the rest of the Cullens surrounded us in the living room. For some inexplicable reason, I was nervous. Jasper, sensing my nerves, sent a calm wave throughout the room and I was suddenly at ease. Edward gave my hand a light squeeze.

"So what have you been up to, Bella?" Esme asked me, taking a seat on the sofa across from the one where Edward and I were seated.

"Not much, just working," I looked down, "I haven't really done much else."

Alice chimed in, "she's a bartender like in _Coyote Ugly_, she does all the cool tricks and stuff. You were pretty impressive when I saw you, Bella."

I blushed and grinned.

Emmett laughed, "Do you dance on the bar like in the movie? That'd be so funny! You can barely walk!"

I rolled my eyes and laughed, "No, it's not that kind of bar. It's just a low-key place where local bands like to play."

"So no girls dancing on bars?" Emmett said, clearly disappointed.

"Nope."

"What's it to _you_?" Rosalie glared at her husband.

He grinned sheepishly and put his arm around her, "Nothing at all."

"Are you planning on going back to Forks, Bella?" Esme asked me.

To be honest, I hadn't really thought about it. "I haven't really thought ahead yet…"

But Edward cut in, "Not yet. She can't." His voice was hard again, worried. I looked at him questioningly, "Victoria," was all he said.

I understood immediately, "Is she still in the area?"

"She was a while after you left. She picked a fight with Edward, but soon escaped," Emmett explained, grinding his teeth, "I sure wish she would've stuck around…"

I wasn't used to seeing Emmett angry. It was very scary. He looked like a menacing bear about to attack. It took him a second to calm down, but he did, as soon as Rosalie placed a loving hand on his arm.

"When we found out you were in Philadelphia, we took flights to different parts of the country first, in case she was following. Once in the airport, we took planes into this city." Jasper explained, "She won't be able to trace you or us for a while."

"How did you find out I was here?" I asked them

Alice spoke again, "I had a vision of you walking past city hall. This is the city where Jasper and I first met face to face," she looked over at her love, "I immediately recognized it."

Alice walked over to where Jasper was seated and sat on his lap. He hugged her close.

"So how did you find out where I was working?"

"I focused on you once we got here." Alice explained, "We've been here for a couple of days. We walked around and Edward finally found a trace of your scent. We followed you, but we thought it'd be best if Jasper and I talked to you alone at the bar."

Something wasn't right. "When did you call?"

They looked at me questioningly. "Call?" Edward asked me.

"Yes, didn't you call the bar asking for an Isabella Swan?" I asked them.

The all looked at one another, confused. "Bella, we never called."

It didn't make sense, "Wes, one of the people that works with me told me someone called looking for an Isabella Swan. No one around here knows my real name except my boss…"

All of the Cullens had the same look of horror on their faces.

"Bella, are you sure it wasn't your parents or someone?" Carlisle asked me.

"Positive."

Emmett spoke again, his voice hard and anxious, "oh crap…"

* * *

**Ok, so my writer's block finally came to an end. Woo hoo! After over a month of not knowing how to get what I wanted to get across, I've finally figured it out. I have an outline all ready to go so stay tuned. Also, I will definitely be continuing my other story, New In Forks very shortly. **

** Please review! **


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